- Man City reportedly discuss transfer targets, valued over £100m in total
- Fred, Evans and Martinez all on the agenda for Premier League leaders
- Defensive acquisition could be smart idea to bolster backline for Guardiola’s men
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Man City could be planning their next recruitment drive as reports claim that targets were discussed by the club this weekend.
Pep Guardiola’s men remain 12 points clear in the Premier League title race after 24 games, while they’re still on course for an historic quadruple as they remain in the hunt for the League Cup, FA Cup and Champions League.
Naturally, there is a long way to go before that becomes a realistic possibility, and so City will arguably just be focusing on the task in hand and taking a step closer to major honours each week.
Nevertheless, The Telegraph report that they’re continuing to plan their long-term strategy beyond this season too, with discussions taking place between club chiefs on Saturday over transfer targets.
A £40m move for Shakhtar Donestk’s Fred is said to be a priority and that would seem like a wise move to bolster their defensive midfield options as compatriot Fernandinho turns 33 in May and has featured heavily for Guardiola so far this season.
Meanwhile, Jonny Evans is valued at £25m while Real Sociedad’s Inigo Martinez has a £28m release clause, with the former said to have been discussed too while the Telegraph add the Spaniard to the mix as a possible target.
If there is an area of the squad that City can improve, then it’s surely their defence. Especially with Vincent Kompany’s ongoing injury woes in mind, to compete on various fronts moving forward Guardiola will arguably want more reassurance to cover injuries and loss of form.
Nicolas Otamendi has performed much better and more consistently this season compared to previous campaigns which has led to him being a regular figure at the back alongside John Stones who returned from an injury problem of his own recently.
Beyond that, Man City are looking at Eliaquim Mangala to provide depth, and while it hasn’t hurt them this season so far, it could be a situation to address in the summer with Evans or Martinez seemingly options.
Having said that though, City have conceded just 18 goals in 24 league outings, giving them the second-best defensive record in the top flight. Four of those goals even came in the same game in the loss to Liverpool last weekend.